Lobelia plant named ‘Tech Darbule’

ABSTRACT

A new  Lobelia  plant named ‘Tech Darbule,’ particularly distinguished by medium sized dark blue flowers with small white and darker blue markings, dark green foliage, lanceolate or oblanceolate leaves, freely branching and tight, semi-upright to slightly trailing plant habit, relatively compact and small to medium in size.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Lobeliaerinus.

Varietal denomination: ‘Tech Darbule’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia,botanically known as Lobelia erinus and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Tech Darbule.’

‘Tech Darbule’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The newcultivar originated from a hybridization made in January 2004 in Andijk,Netherlands.

The female parent was an unpatented proprietary Lobelia plant designated‘LOB04-314-1.’ ‘LOB04-314-1’ has a deeper dark blue flower color andshorter stems than ‘Tech Darbule.’

The male parent of ‘Tech Darbule’ was an unpatented proprietary Lobeliaplant designated ‘LOB04-288-1.’ ‘LOB04-288-1’ has a light blue flowercolor and more upright plant habit than ‘Tech Darbule.’

The resulting seeds were sown in March 2004 and ‘Tech Darbule’ wasselected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated crossin July 2004 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Tech Darbule’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inthe fall of 2004 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in the spring of 2005 in Andijk, Netherlands, and inHillscheid, Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated thatthe combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘TechDarbule’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘Tech Darbule’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

A Plant Breeders' Right for this cultivar was applied for with theEuropean Union on Sep. 13, 2007. ‘Tech Darbule’ has not been madepublicly available more than one year prior to the filing of thisapplication.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new Lobelia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographswhich show blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant in full color. Thecolors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventionalphotographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows a hanging basket holding 3 plants about 6 months old. Thepicture was taken in early September 2006.

FIG. 2 is a close view of a single flower.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The measurements were taken in Hillscheid, Germany, mainly on May 5,2007, using 15 week old plants that were growing in 12 cm pots in agreenhouse under relatively cool conditions. Culture of these plants hadstarted in early March 2007 with planting of rooted cuttings that hadbeen pinched once.

Color chart used: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.),2001.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describeplants grown indoors and outdoors in Andijk, Netherlands, and inHillscheid, Germany. The following traits have been repeatedly observedand are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. Thecombination of these characteristics distinguishes this Lobelia as a newand distinct variety:

-   -   1. Medium sized, deep blue flowers with small white eyes    -   2. Dark green foliage    -   3. Well branched and tight, relatively compact growth habit    -   4. Small to medium sized, mounding to semi-trailing habit

COMPARISON WITH COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Tech Darbule’ differs from the commercial cultivar ‘Techno Blue’(registered ‘Lob Bule,’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,250) in that ‘TechDarbule’ has a darker blue flower color than ‘Lob Bule.’ Additionally,the plant habit of ‘Tech Darbule’ is initially more upright.

Compared with ‘Big Blue’ (registered ‘Weslobigblue,’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.12,634), ‘Tech Darbule’ has smaller flowers and darker blue color. ‘TechDarbule’ also has a more compact habit with shorter internodes than ‘BigBlue.’

-   Plant:    -   -   Growth and habit.—Vigorous growth habit; dense and freely            branched with medium internodes.        -   Form.—Low mounding and semi-trailing.        -   Height above soil.—15–20 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—40–45 cm.        -   Number of branches.—About 50.        -   Spread (including flowers).—Approximately 25 cm, from the            base of the main stem to the tips of the branches.        -   Spread at the end of the summer.—55 cm.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 10–12            weeks for a 12 cm pot.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—For hanging baskets, window            baskets, in mixed container plantings, or in garden beds.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—24 days at 20–24° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous and freely branching.-   Stem:    -   -   Characteristics.—Quadrangular.        -   Stem length.—20–25 cm.        -   Diameter.—2–3 mm.        -   Internode length.—0.5–1.5 cm.        -   Color.—Deep green, RHS 137A, in parts with anthocyanin: RHS            187A.        -   Texture.—Short hair, hirtellous.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Shape.—Oblanceolate to lanceolate, on flowering stems            usually narrow lanceolate, sessile without any distinct            petiole.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate to acute.        -   Margin.—Crenate.        -   Leaf length (on flowering stems).—3.2–3.5 cm.        -   Leaf width.—0.4–0.6 cm.        -   Size of leaves near the base of stems or on non-flowering            stems.—4.2–6.0 cm in length, 2.1–2.5 cm wide.        -   Color upper surface.—Deep green, between RHS 137A and 139A.        -   Color lower surface.—RHS 138A, most often with anthocyanin,            RHS 187C, but weak.        -   Venation type.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color.—RHS 137D on the lower side, indistinct on            upper side.        -   Texture.—Both surfaces covered with very short hair, and            especially along the leaf veins of lower surface and at the            edges.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous through the growing season from            spring to the fall.        -   Begin of flowering.—About 10 weeks after planting of rooted            cuttings in spring.        -   Type of inflorescence.—Single flowers at the upper nodes of            the stems, one flower per leaf node.        -   Quantity of flowers per stem.—About 3–5 open flowers,            additionally buds.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—5–6 days.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Flower:    -   -   Corolla type and shape.—Single, zygomorphic; lower part            tube- to funnel-shaped, with the petal lobes opening            outwards; two small petals directed upright and 3 mainly            fused petals forming the lower lip, salver-shaped with 3            lobes.        -   Flower diameter, length.—1.9–2.0 cm.        -   Flower width.—1.8–2.0 cm.        -   Corolla tube length.—0.8 cm.        -   Tube width.—0.3–0.4 cm.        -   Color upper surface.—RHS 95B.        -   Markings in the center.—Dark blue dots, RHS N89B; and small            white macules, RHS 155D.        -   Color lower surface.—RHS 96C mainly, and two pale blue to            white macules, RHS 97C to RHS N155A, in the center of the            lower lip.        -   Color of tube.—RHS 94A-94B.-   Petal lobes:    -   -   Apex.—Upper petals acute; lower petals rounded to weakly            mucronulate.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.        -   Upper lobes, length (from the corolla opening).—5–6 mm.        -   Upper lobes, width.—2 mm.        -   Lower lobe, length (from the corolla opening).—9–10 mm.        -   Lower lobe, width.—5–7 mm.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Diameter.—0.3–0.4 cm.        -   Length.—1.0–1.1 cm.        -   Color (at tight bud).—Pale blue-green, RHS 122D, with blue,            from RHS 98B to RHS 98C.-   Calyx:    -   -   Form and shape.—5 sepals in a whorl, slanting outwards.        -   Sepal color.—RHS 137A, both surfaces, tips may be infused            with purple: to RHS 137B, tips N186C (both surfaces).        -   Length.—5–6 mm.        -   Width.—1 mm.        -   Shape of sepal.—Ligulate.        -   Apex.—Acute, pointed.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Texture.—Very short hairs along the edges.-   Pedicels:    -   -   Color.—RHS 137B.        -   Length.—2.0–2.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Texture.—Covered with very short, dense hair.-   Reproductive organs:-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity.—5.        -   Filament, color.—Blue, RHS 96D.        -   Length.—0.6 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Anther color.—Grey, RHS 202B.        -   Pollen amount.—Little.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 8B.-   Pistil:    -   -   Quantity per flower.—One.        -   Length.—About 1.0 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 86B.        -   Style color.—RHS 145B.-   Fruit and seed set: Are developed in late summer mainly.    -   -   Fruit.—Small capsule, 5 mm in length, 3 mm in diameter.        -   Seeds.—Nearly round to ovate, very small, under 1 mm in            diameter, brown in color.-   Disease/pest resistance: Disease resistance or susceptibility other    than typical for the species has not been observed on this hybrid.

1. A new and distinct variety of Lobelia plant named ‘Tech Darbule,’substantially as illustrated and described herein.